As if the pandemic and tumult of 2020 weren’t enough, last year also delayed a slew of hotly anticipated films, ranging from action blockbusters such as “Black Widow” and “No Time to Die” to the Timothée Chalamet-led sci-fi epic “Dune,” which will now release both in theaters and on HBO Max in 2021.
Most theaters across the country have reopened their doors, letting film lovers view previously delayed releases and new films. However, many fall films are banking on hybrid release plans after the delta variant put a damper on the full-fledged return to theaters. The good news is there are numerous options for viewing the year’s hottest films.
Fall movies premiering in theaters on HBO Max on the same day include Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho” and “Dune,” starring Timothy Chalamet. Meanwhile, James Bond installment “No Time to Die” and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” will premiere only in theaters.
Read on to see all the highly anticipated films of 2021.
Godzilla vs. Kong
(March 31)
Set to debut on both HBO Max and in theaters, the crossover sequel to “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Kong: Skull Island” will see the iconic monsters square off in an epic battle for the ages, while humanity hopes to wipe out both of them in order to take back the planet.
Raya and the Last Dragon
Featuring the voices of Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina, Walt Disney Animation’s upcoming animated feature is its first to center on a Southeast Asian heroine and will premiere both on Disney Plus and in theaters. It will follow the journey of Raya, a passionate warrior on a quest to find the last dragon to restore peace in a mythical world.
Coming 2 America
Eddie Murphy is back as Prince Akeem in this long-awaited sequel to the 1988 film. Directed by Craig Brewer from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield, Prince Akeem is set to become King of Zamuda when he discovers he has a son in America (Jermaine Fowler). Of course, hilarious antics ensue.
Mortal Kombat
(April 23)
Adapted from the popular video game, MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) seeks out the Earthrealm’s greatest champions to stand against the forces of Outworld in a high-stakes battle to save the universe.
Army of the Dead
(May 21)
One highly anticipated movie of the year just wasn’t enough for Zack Snyder! From the “Justice League” director comes an apocalyptic tale about a group of mercenaries who take the ultimate gamble after a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas. Taking a cue from their Rat Pack predecessors (or maybe George Clooney), the group ventures into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist of all time. The cast includes Dave Bautista, Huma Qureshi, Ella Purnell, Hiroyuki Sanada, Matthias Schweighöfer and Tig Notaro, who replaces original cast member Chris D’Elia.
The Matrix 4
(December 22)
Get ready to re-enter the Matrix. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt will reprise their roles for the fourth film in the beloved sci-fi franchise, directed by Lana Wachowski.
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson is finally getting a standalone Black Widow movie. The long-awaited Marvel film, also starring David Harbour, Florence Pugh and O-T Fagbenle, is set after 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” It will see Natasha Romanoff on the run and forced to confront her past as a spy, long before she became an Avenger.
Fast & Furious 9
This ninth installment of the beloved action franchise again follows Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, whose crew and family members join forces to battle one of the world’s most talented assassins and high-performance drivers — his estranged brother, Jakob, played by John Cena. The new movie also sees the return of Han Lue, a fan-favorite character thought to be long-dead.
In the Heights
Debuting both on HBO Max and in theaters, the musical drama — directed by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda — explores three days in New York City’s Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights. Based on Miranda’s musical of the same name, the adaptation stars Stephanie Beatriz, Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and more.
A Quiet Place Part II
“A Quiet Place Part II” will again see the family members played by Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe stay silent and evade deadly monsters in a dystopian world. Despite his character’s demise in the first movie, John Krasinski returned to direct the sequel.
Above Suspicion
Based on one of the most notorious crimes in FBI history, Emilia Clark stars as Susan Smith, a young woman desperate to escape a seedy life in a Kentucky coal mining town. Enter Mark Putnam (Jack Huston): a new FBI agent who may be the answer to changing her bad luck. He recruits Susan as his informant for a high-profile case, but as their relationship deepens, so does the danger. The cast includes Sophie Lowe, Austin Hébert, Karl Glusman, Chris Mulkey, Omar Miller, Kevin Dunn, Thora Birch and Johnny Knoxville.
Jungle Cruise
Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson star in the adventure fantasy film based on Disneyland’s park ride where a small riverboat transports a group of travelers down the Amazon through a supernatural jungle.
The Suicide Squad
(August 6)
Directed by James Gunn and premiering on both HBO Max and in theaters, the “Suicide Squad” standalone sequel follows the comic book roots of Harley Quinn and her gang of supervillains, rather than continuing the narrative of the 2016 film. The star-studded cast features Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Taika Waititi, Sylvester Stallone, Idris Elba, Jai Courtney and Pete Davidson.
Dune
Premiering on both HBO Max and in theaters, the long-awaited Denis Villeneuve remake of the sci-fi epic stars Timothée Chalamet as a young duke named Paul Atreides leading a battle to control the desert planet Arrakis. Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem round out the star-studded cast.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
(October 15)
Tom Hardy is back as the classic Spider-Man villain, this time ready to take on the superpowered serial killer Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson. Andy Serkis directs the sequel, which fans speculate could be building up to more Marvel crossovers down the road.
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